Is 4 bfs enough for 8 month old?

[Little Miss Sunshine]

Hi, daylight savings us starting for most of us this weekend and since her routine (not strict) is going to be mucked up I was hoping to stretch her feeds to 4 hourly so therefore only 4 feeds a day.

Dd is 8 months, solids 3 times a day (sometimes eats good, other times not interested), no night feeds. Will this be enough or should I keep feeding around 3 hours? I know she can go 4 hours but I usually try and cram in feeds so I know she doesn't need them at night.

Added this in... Also when did you switch to offering solids first? Too soon?

[Atropos]

Ive know some bubs that got by on 4 bfs per day at that age but that was child led not mother initiated so they were clearly getting enough from those feeds - and both would occasionally wake for a night feed or two as well! Just keep in mind that breast milk is their main source of nutrition for the first year of life so you might want to hold off on cutting down.

[FearlessLeader]

I would give it a try. Both of mine were on 4 feeds by then. They will let you know by waking up in the night if it's not enough!

My BF 10 month old DD still has 4 feeds a day and a feed before solids. I tried dropping a feed recently and she started waking hungry, so have gone back to 4. I'll try again in a month or so.

I guess it partly depends on if/when you want to wean. I will wean at 12 months so we are slowly working towards that. But as PP said until around that time milk should be their main source of nutrition.

[Bubbles10]

My dd still had 12 feeds at 12 months, so 4 feeds seems like too few to me.

i think if you have to 'stretch' her feeds, you might be moving too fast. Can you just follow her lead? My kids' (and my own) food and drink isn't spaced evenly over the day, you might find she naturally begins to drop feeds herself without you doing anything.

[Little Miss Sunshine]

I would give it a try. Both of mine were on 4 feeds by then. They will let you know by waking up in the night if it's not enough!

My BF 10 month old DD still has 4 feeds a day and a feed before solids. I tried dropping a feed recently and she started waking hungry, so have gone back to 4. I'll try again in a month or so.

I guess it partly depends on if/when you want to wean. I will wean at 12 months so we are slowly working towards that. But as PP said until around that time milk should be their main source of nutrition.

Thank you for this advice I am returning to work at 12 months to so will probably wean then, and didn't want dd on 5 feeds at that stage as it might be a bit traumatic for us both , wanted to start gently cutting back

Save our sleep routine (I don't actually follow it but was looking for a rough guide) indicated 4 feeds at 4 hourly, but I just wasn't sure if anyone had successfully did this with breast feeding. My wording was a little off by using the term "Stretch". She does go 4 hours easily without feeding during the day, I just give it to her more often as I was just worried about the impact at night

[Bubbles10]

Many kids have changes to their sleep patterns around 8 / 9 months, so if that happens don't freak out too much. It often resolves itself again.

[Little Miss Sunshine]

Thanks for tip

[Little Miss Sunshine]

Update: Well 4 feeds a day seem to be enough for my dd lol. Yesterday I fed her 4 hourly no dramas wish I'd tried it sooner makes fitting feeds around naps much easier!

ETA: just wanted to add by feeding 4 hourly I am "flexible" just using it a rough guide, same with timing for naps and bed, don't want to give wrong impressions!